Bill makes discrimination against gay renters illegal

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Mar/08/ln/ln01a.html

A bill making its way through the Legislature would make it illegal for real-estate agents or landlords to discriminate against potential home buyers or renters based on sexual orientation.

House Bill 537, which is expected to gain final approval in the House this week, would place sexual orientation alongside race, sex, color, religion, marital status, familial status, ancestry, disability, age and HIV infection as categories that are legally protected from discrimination in housing.

Under the bill, sexual orientation is defined as "having a preference for heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality, having a history of any one or more of these preferences, or being identified with any one or more of these preferences."

[sonias]

1. Great news for Hawaii!

We need a national bill to do the same. Our local rag yesterday, had some interesting commentary when discussing the proposed hate amendment bu$h is pushing. One thing they noted is how far the country had come in just a few years in considering civil unions to be acceptable. Right now most of the disagreement just centers around the word marriage, for the most part people, even most republicans, support legal rights for gays that are almost equal to heterosexual rights. It's still that separate by equal frame of thinking. But still if you consider how much fear and hate they have grown up with, it really is amazing that they (repukes) can get this far. Even five years ago it would be unthinkable for them to consider gay families with equal rights. We will win this fight eventually. All humans, all people have the inalienable right to live, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - no exceptions and no separate but equal classification. It's just the right thing to do.

Love will win over hate.

Sonia

[varun]

2. This shows...

...that if you ask for the stars, you will at least get the moon...

Two years ago we (gays and lesbians) were criminals in 19 states. But the push for gay marriage has placed the goal post so far , that the repugs and the fundies have at least started thinking about civil unions.